“P-please excuse the interruption mistress. Young lord, there are some men outside to see you, they- oh!”

Marie was gently pushed aside by one of two enormous, scarred, and heavily tattooed hands. Belonging to the hulking brute of a man behind her—every inch of visible skin crisscrossed with scars, like a complex tapestry of violence—the giant was so tall and broad that he had to stoop over to fully fit inside the relatively large tent.

His overall appearance made even more unsettling by the expensive three piece suit he wore, in the fashionable colonial style.

Even though it had to have been tailor made for him, it nevertheless looked like any sudden movements would burst a seam, pop a button, or shred the whole thing to pieces in an explosion of expensive weave.

Then, stepping aside somewhat demurely, the hulking brute moved to reveal the ruggedly handsome face of a tall, lithe man. Dressed well in ostentatious finery—another suit of the colonial make—the rogue flashed his even white teeth in a wicked smile. Then he opened his arms out wide, as if making to embrace a long-lost son.

“Masks, my boy. It’s been far too long! How’ve you been my dear friend! You pocket sized money maker you! I’ve been fantastic, as always, thank you very much for asking. Oh, and umm…” he snapped his fingers rapidly, as if fishing for words. “Ah! That’s right! How are the little ones? Precious little Reeves and Samantha? I think I’m remembering those names correctly. Good, or… uhhh, you know, still kicking? Doing well, I mean…?”

Jun didn’t immediately say anything, and the silence which followed became awkward rather fast.

To his credit, the man’s smile never wavered and his arms never fell. They did, however, start to tremble as the seconds stretched on.

“Um… Boss? Weren’t that the other one with the mask? Count Monti-what’s his name or another?”

“Ah! Count Montifelle of Lithenburg, you’re exactly right my friend! That’s my mistake. Actually, now that you mention it, apart from the mask they really don’t look anything alike. Huh. But wait, then whose kids am I thinking of? They aren’t the Count’s, surely.”

“Dunno. Wager it don’t have much to do with this one though,” piped the giant in a voice pitched far higher than seemed natural. “Look at ‘em. He’s just a kid. And kids can’t have kids. It’s against the king's strictures. ‘Member my mum always used to say so.”

“What?! Oh, what a load of utter nonsense,” he let his arms drop and turned to the giant. “And, far be it from me to naysay that blessed saint of a woman, but by the time I was his age, I had to have sired at least twenty or more of the little bastards.”

“Oh! Didn’t know that. ‘Gratulations boss. How are they?”

“The kids? Hmm. Not a clue.”

“Oh,” the giant briefly deflated, before unexpectedly brightening. “That’s fine. ‘Member my old Da’ was too busy to visit us a’times. Its never too late to reunite though. If you know where they’re at we could-!”

“Nope. Not a one.”

“Oh… b… but their names then...! Would be tricky, sure, but it ain’t impossible. Few choice words in the right ears and-”

“Names? Haven’t the foggiest. Look the point is, a strapping young lad like himself? You can’t tell me he doesn’t have a loaf or two rising in the oven, if you catch my meaning. Eh? Eh?” the man nudged the big guy in the ribs.

The giant didn’t budge.

“Not even their names, boss?”

“Names? Of course I don’t-! Really now. Are you still hung up on that!? I’ll have you know that unlike you Tiny, I’ve bedded a great many gorgeous, beautiful, downright stunning women in my day. From the Southern seas of Ulittan to the branch capital of Calltaya. So you tell me? How in all the nine roiling hells am I supposed to remember every insignificant townlet, or noname village I might have—might have, mind you—passed through along the way? Hells, I never had a father and just look how well I turned out!” he waved emphatically at his expensive looking suit.

The big man, for his part, didn’t look convinced.

“Oh, phooey on you and all your grumbling! It should be warming your heart right now. To think that, all across the frontier, there are dozens of miniature me’s! Running around, causing mayhem and making names for themselves. Damn! I sure know it warms mine,” he wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye.

Then another wicked smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“And hey? Who knows? Perhaps there’s even one in this very room. What do you say Masks? Ever catch your mother reminiscing by the windowsill…? Suddenly enraptured by a midnight tryst of days long past? Say thirteen…no, maybe fourteen years ago?”

Once again only silence followed.

And, as it dragged on, the man appeared to grow increasingly uncomfortable. Jun had to imagine the scathing glare both his and Jun’s partner, aimed his way weren’t lessening his growing agitation much. Then, just when it looked like the man was about to open up his fool mouth yet again, Jun sighed.

“Really? Alright I’ll bite. Just, what do you want Kaiser?”

“Ah… yes, well,” he visibly collected himself—smoothing down his suit and coughing into his hand. “Ah… umm. The thing is…? We… kind of need to talk.”

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“What do you mean you need everything by tomorrow?!”

They were standing inside a ring of trees far from the main campsite—well out of earshot and away from prying eyes—though still within the safety of the soldier patrolled perimeter.

Maisell had taken the liberty of restricting Ivory to her tents—saying it was only proper a young lady such as herself, not be exposed to such unsavory elements as “those uncivilized rogues.”

Honestly, going by what he knew of the two men, Jun couldn’t entirely say he disagreed.

“What can I say? New management is cleaning shop. Practically every client in the books with a sum worth looking twice at is enjoying their fair share of this city-wide shakedown.”

“And what does Albion have to say about all this?”

“Nothing much. Though that’s easy enough to do when you’re dead I suspect. When I tell you it’s been a charged couple of days…? Well, let’s just say the transition has been less than gentle. Think, less carpet shock, and more ‘caught with your pants down in a thunderstorm’—a fifty-inch lightning rod rammed straight up your-!”

“Hey boss. No swearing ‘round the kid. Bad manners, speaking the devil's tongue near the young’n impressionable.”

“E-excuse me…? Bad what?”

“You know, sort of like… tea and biscuits—real upright behavior’n. With raised pinkies and the like.”

“Upright or uptight, you lumbering oaf,” Kaiser grumbled. “And when did you suddenly become this paragon of propriety?!”

The big man just shrugged.

“Mum taught us right.”

“Oh…? Well, uhh, that’s nice big guy. Sounds like she was a real upstanding lady, your mam. Would’ve loved to meet her. Truly, a star shines brighter in the wake of her passing…”

“Uhh, boss? She had us over for bridge night not a week gone by. You ate all her blueberry scones then passed out on the kitchen floor, remember?”

“Semantics! Now, where was I…? Ah, right! Let’s just say things have been rather… rough going, then. Happy? Me and Tiny here—or should I say Tiny and I—have outlasted gods know how many overeager takeovers. Now normally I’d say, ‘If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all!’ but this one…? Well, it sure as shit takes the cake for most imaginative brutality.”

“Language, boss.”

“Gah! Enough! Tell me, who’s the higher-ranking enforcer here!? You or me?”

The big guy, Tiny, looked unimpressed. Kaiser clicked his tongue.

“Anyway, the point is, these people are clearly out for blood. It’s even got the upper crust nervous which is never a good sign. Doesn’t matter that I personally couldn’t give a rats ass who’s exulted derrière gets to sit on the big boy’s chair. Not so long as the coin’s still flowing, and my pockets are heavy. Didn’t stop them from nearly taking off my head more’n once though, now did it? And compared to someone like Tiny here, you could say I got off light.”

The big man nodded his agreement while rubbing at a circular burn mark around his neck.

Jun briefly felt a twinge of sympathy for the two and what they’d probably gone through, but it wasn’t even a question that, in his mind, his own affairs took immediate priority.

“Okay, so this “new management,” what’s their leadership look like?” Jun asked.

Kaiser lowered his voice as if his new boss could hear him from all the way out here.

“Well, there’s this one bloke, right? A big, nasty bruiser.”

“A demon, more like,” Tiny added.

“Pretty much. He’s one marble shy of a full deck of cards, if you catch my meaning. When I tell you he’s mad, I’m not talking about his anger issues. Although he has plenty of those too, believe you me. He’s one bloody minded bastard, alright, and not shy about getting his hands dirty. Tiny and I saw him cave a man’s head in with nothing but his hands. With his bare. Fucking. Hands! And the man’s not even a cultivator!”

Tiny nodded solemnly, a hint of fear in his eyes—too disturbed to remember to correct Kaiser on his language.

“But he’s not really the one you’ll be wanting to worry about. It’s his right-hand man that really gives me the shivers. He’s the quiet type, calm and collected—unassuming like. But I heard from one of his guards, yeah? That he likes to take young girls, you see, and- Well, I’ll spare you the grisly details, but let’s just say he’s bad, bad news. That poor guardsman. Never seen a bloke drink so damned much in my life.”

Kaiser shivered and Jun’s frown only deepened.

“And if I don’t go along with this? My payments have been consistently on time up until now. There shouldn’t be any reason to switch things up so suddenly.”

“Ah. Well. You could, of course, choose to ignore this, uhh, we’ll call it a friendly warning. But do you remember how Albion had connections with the gentry? How he didn’t want to chance all that jolly hobnobbing by pissing off some no name branch lord from the ass end of nowhere? Yeah, not so sure that applies anymore. These new guys might be more willing to take… certain liberties.”

In an instant Jun’s blood ran cold.

He knew what the man was implying. Because of course he did. It was just that the idea was so utterly repugnant that he almost refused to believe it out of hand. Jun clenched his fists; tried to breathe through the frustration quickly rising in his chest.

This… this was the last thing he needed. His mother…

Checking the time on his pocket watch, he felt his frustration nearly boil over. He was late for an appointment. How could this day get any better?

“How much time do I have?” Jun said, trying to keep his tone even.

“Like I said, today. Maybe tomorrow if you’re lucky. The big boss can be a might forgetful after a good day of killing but the snake will definitely notice if no payment is made.”

Jun thought for a moment, then decided on a course of action.

“Is the account still the same?”

“Ferrin’s still alive if that’s what you're asking.”

Jun opened his screens and transferred ten million spirit coins to the crime syndicates accountant, leaving him with a little more than two million.

“I just transferred a tenth of the total. Hopefully that should be enough to convince them that I can still pay. I just need two weeks. Two weeks and I can get them the money. Can you tell them that for me?”

Kaiser smiled at him sadly.

“I’ll do my best Masks. But, if you asked me, I’d say your best bet is to run. The winds have been in a bad way for a good while now. Can’t help but think it’ll get a lot worse before it gets better.”

“No. Absolutely not. Running is not an option.”

That was his father's forte after all, and he was not his father.

“Alright, alright. No need to bite my head off. It’s just a heads up. Can’t see things turning out well for you, is all I’m saying.”

“And I appreciate the concern, really I do. But, unfortunately, I have some place to be. If you’ll excuse me gentlemen.”

And with that Jun gave a tight smile before he marched quickly past the two men—posture stiff and visibly tense. The two enforcers watched the young man go with forlorn expressions. Kaiser sighed.

“It’s a shame really.”

“Shame,” Tiny concurred.

“He really is a good kid. Fairly exceptional.”

“Ah, yup. Bit of an understatement there, boss.”

“Reminds me a bit of myself when I was that age.”

“Oh yeah boss?”

“Wouldn’t mind if he was mine actually. My son I mean.”

“Hmm…”

“Might have even visited sometimes.”

“Huh. That right boss?”

“In a manner of speaking…? Yes. Well, I don’t know. Probably.”

“Ah.”

“Although now that I really think about it, I don’t actually know his name either, now do I?”

At this final revelation, the two enforcers shared a laugh.